Why do magazine reviews differ from reality?

[NumbNutz]

Why do magazine reviews differ from reality so much?

Specifically, the question is aimed at the Panasonic TX-32PD30. Home Cinema Choice and other publications all rate this TV very highly. To cut a long story short, my mother-in-law’s TV has given up the ghost, she is going to have my 6 year old 29’ Panasonic 4:3 DPL Surround Sound TV and I can buy a new one. I’m in the market for a 32’ widescreen TV and have been scouring reviews in HCC, other publications, the internet and dealers to find out what would be best. As I have been happy with my current TV, I was impressed to see that the Panasonic TX-32PD30 is the TV of choice.

However, after checking this and other message boards I see numerous people complaining about the PD30. No point in listing the problems here, you can see them on the 'sticky' at the top of this page.

I have used HCC and other magazines in the past and successfully bought a DVD player, amp and surround speakers after reading recommendations and acting upon them. However, this TV costs more than a grand so why should I splash this kind of cash when ‘real buyers’ (i.e. you guys!) are reporting so many problems with the T.V.

It's brought matters to head when I read an article in the February ’04 issue of another magazine where the a review of the PD30 had this in the 'Against' column:

“Absolutely, positively, definitely nothing!”

So, according to this review, this is just about as perfect a TV as you can get. I am glad I’ve not had the opportunity, (maybe that should be misfortune?) to have bought a PD30 after reading about so many people’s problems with this set.

Why does there seem to be such a gulf between magazine review models and sets in a real world environment?

[billygoat]

Maybe quality control for sets going out to reviewers is a bit higher than quality control for sets destined for average consumers?

[jspone]

and maybe the magazines have one eye on their advertising budgets ;-)

[rvd48]

maybe the tv manufacturers are paying alot more £dosh£ to the reviewers to give a very good review regaurdless of the tv faults like my old philips pixel+ which horrendously pixelated but that never got mentioned considering so many other owners had the same problems.

[kill3r]

a) reviewers get send TVs that have been correctly set-up.
b) reviewers allocate maybe an hour or so to view each TV.
c) reviewers aren't spending their hard (hmm...) earned money on them so don't have anywhere near the vested interest in ensuring their comments are correct.
d) advertising revenue. That's why the known faults on big company TVs are only ever pointed out right at the end of the product's lifespan. The Toshiba Picture Frame 1 series was considered 'faultless' by all the main mags for a year, only when it's replacement versions were being released did they start mentioning the known faults - that had been there from day one.

[cerebros]

While I'm not disagreeing that magazine reviews seem to miss or dismiss problems that are showstoppers for most people, bear in mind that it seems to be a trait of the people who post here that the complaints always far outweigh the positives.

Taking the PD30 as a specific case - yes there's the fault's sticky at the top of the subject list, but there's also an "I love my PD30!!" thread as well - although as it's not sticky you have to search a bit to find it (perhaps it should be made sticky though out of fairness?)

[lynx]

Originally posted by cerebros
Taking the PD30 as a specific case - yes there's the fault's sticky at the top of the subject list, but there's also an "I love my PD30!!" thread as well - although as it's not sticky you have to search a bit to find it (perhaps it should be made sticky though out of fairness?)

A search on terms 'PD30' will return both threads (as well as others). The existence of the 'sticky' was simply to prevent lots of different threads being created as, at the time, many people were reporting issues with this model and it was felt beneficial to prospective and actual purchasers to have a single thread that contained the information pertaining to these issues.

[NumbNutz]

Originally posted by cerebros
While I'm not disagreeing that magazine reviews seem to miss or dismiss problems that are showstoppers for most people, bear in mind that it seems to be a trait of the people who post here that the complaints always far outweigh the positives.

That's a bonus from my point-of-view as it let's me (and others) know what these things are like in the real-world.

Yes, there are one or two positives about the PD30 and I'm happy for those people like like their sets. For the most part though it seems like a majority of poster's have had a problem or two with theirs. I'm grateful for both views as it gives us a chance to see how good these things actually are.

Personally, I feel that there is something wierd going on when so many publications give a product glowing reviews yet so many people have experienced problems. When it comes to spending a grand on one item, I've got to make sure it's the right and get as many opinions as possible.

[kwangomango]

What Video + TV were the only mag to highlight any problems with the set. I think it was John Archer's review of the 36". It only got 4 out of 5 for picture.

Due to time restraints i don't think reviewers get to spend much time with the sets. Most of the time they only ever connect up a dvd player via component.
What Video + TV do however seem to give the most comprehensive reviews.

[bazzae123]

Actually, in the case of the PD30 when I was going through the various articles reviewing this model in fairness most only gave the set a 4/5 for picture and all made some negative comments about the sets ability to handle noise. I think I only saw one review that gave it a 5/5 for picture. Having already tried three sets I was a little surprised to read that these people actually loved the set and found no problems with it at all.

I also have to agree with a previous comment made. Most reviews rave about a TV until the next model comes out and then they tell you all about the problems with the previous model.

Just one other thing. I don't know how many of you saw the write up in one popular mags for the Toshiba PF2 32". Well a couple of months later they had the write up for the 36" and it was exactly the same word for word as the one for the 32" but the screen size had changed. Just like copying somebody's home work.

Bazza

[richard plumb]

Plus don't forget most forums are for moaners. I mean that with love in my heart :P

If you don't have a problem, you are unlikely to post. Things like 'I love my PD30' are a concious response to the negative posts.

It doesn't mean that this reflects reality.

The reality is probably that Panasonic have sold 10s of thousands of PD30s, and there are maybe <100 people on here with problems.

Its all about context.